32 replies to this topic

[Howie]

Just got my gear back out of storage at MILs house.I haven't brewed in about 6 years or so. Now that we are in the new house, I have the space, and the kids are a little older, I'd really like to start brewing again.I need a new mash tun. What's the latest and greatest for batch sparging? How about fermenting? I absolutely HATE racking. I'd like to have something easy to clean and capable of pressurized transfers. I have better bottles now, which I guess can be used for pressurized transfer, so maybe they are good enough

[djinkc]

Batch sparging - dunno.  One of our club members did a demo racking from a BB with CO2 and a carboy cap.  It worked.

[neddles]

Batch sparging - dunno.  One of our club members did a demo racking from a BB with CO2 and a carboy cap.  It worked.

I do that with glass carboy. Takes little pressure at all to get the siphon started after that I just leave the CO2 on trickle to fill the void left by the beer. My lawyer tells me I shouldn't recommend this method online though.

[Howie]

I gave up on glass a long time ago. Too many horror stories of shattered carboysI've always batch sparged in rectangular coolers with the SS braid. Worked fine. I was really interested in a unit called the Mash Hawk some years ago. Not sure if you can still buy them.

Edited by Howie, 08 April 2015 - 06:10 PM.

[3rd party JKor]

Brew In A Bag (BIAB) is all the rage now. It's crazy how thats taken off in the last 2-3 years. Seems like almost all the new AG brewers are doing that instead of traditional techniques.If its been 6 years then there also an absolute metric shit ton of new brewing equipment out there that you haven't seen. The last 3-5 years have been a rennaisance of homebrewing. I can't even begin to name all the different purpose built equipment out there, it's insane. New 'systems' are coming out every few months. Just start googling.

[Howie]

Brew In A Bag (BIAB) is all the rage now. It's crazy how thats taken off in the last 2-3 years. Seems like almost all the new AG brewers are doing that instead of traditional techniques.If its been 6 years then there also an absolute metric shit ton of new brewing equipment out there that you haven't seen. The last 3-5 years have been a rennaisance of homebrewing. I can't even begin to name all the different purpose built equipment out there, it's insane. New 'systems' are coming out every few months. Just start googling.

Yeah, I had thought about doing 2.5gal BIAB batches a few years ago

[3rd party JKor]

I tried it last year as i was making a push to get back into brewing. I did not like the results. Certainly not terrible, but not up to level i'd come to expect. I'm in the process of building a 2.5g direct fired recirc system right now to attempt to get back to where i was when i decommissioned the 10 gallon rig.

[Howie]

I've never been into expensive purpose built brewing equipment or systems. Not that I wouldn't love one - I just can't afford that kind of stuff! I had toyed around with the idea of fermenting in corny kegs, and even did it a couple of times. Worked well enough, but a major PITA to take them apart and clean!

[neddles]

I tried it last year as i was making a push to get back into brewing. I did not like the results. Certainly not terrible, but not up to level i'd come to expect. 

Are you convinced it was the process (BIAB)? 

[3rd party JKor]

Are you convinced it was the process (BIAB)?

No. For one, it's hard to convince me of anything without rock solid data. Also, i had changed so many other things from my process that it would be hard to pin it specifically on the BIAB process in general. The reason I wouldn't make that my long term process has more to do with sound brewing fundamentals than whether or not you can make good or great beer via BIAB, which i'm sure you can.

[neddles]

No. For one, it's hard to convince me of anything without rock solid data. Also, i had changed so many other things from my process that it would be hard to pin it specifically on the BIAB process in general.The reason I wouldn't make that my long term process has more to do with sound brewing fundamentals than whether or not you can make good or great beer via BIAB, which i'm sure you can.

Can you expound on this? I'm always looking for ways to improve my process.

[HVB]

How about fermenting? I absolutely HATE racking. I'd like to have something easy to clean and capable of pressurized transfers. I have better bottles now, which I guess can be used for pressurized transfer, so maybe they are good enough

Carboy cap makes it real easy.  You could also look at the more beer sterile siphon starter if you did not want to use CO2. 

 

httpss://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/383497_10151535111249657_625727292_n.jpg?oh=49314be1b37c7ac1ffd1e58a013146c6&oe=55B47710

[SchwanzBrewer]

I'd do 5 gallon no sparge instead of BIAB. At least it's a complete mash, you just need a slightly larger mash tun. The Coleman Xtreme 70 qt should do anything you want for 5 gallons.

 

Denny's set up with a braid is about as simple as it gets.

[positiveContact]

I'd do 5 gallon no sparge instead of BIAB. At least it's a complete mash, you just need a slightly larger mash tun. The Coleman Xtreme 70 qt should do anything you want for 5 gallons.

 

Denny's set up with a braid is about as simple as it gets.

 

why would BIAB not be a complete mash?  with a large kettle you could mash with the full volume BIAB style no problem.  then you only have one vessel.

[Howie]

Pretty sure I don't want BIAB.I had a Coleman xtreme 70qt that I intended to use for brewing. Still have it, but who knows what has been in it since. Don't think I'll mash in there

[Howie]

Carboy cap makes it real easy. httpss://scontent-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/383497_10151535111249657_625727292_n.jpg?oh=49314be1b37c7ac1ffd1e58a013146c6&oe=55B47710

Yeah, this is what I had in mind.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

Yeah, this is what I had in mind.

That's what I do.

[positiveContact]

Pretty sure I don't want BIAB.I had a Coleman xtreme 70qt that I intended to use for brewing. Still have it, but who knows what has been in it since. Don't think I'll mash in there

 

I don't BIAB so I can't speak to it entirely but why not?

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I'm no-sparging 5 gallon batches with a 70 quart cooler. I haven't been tempted to try BIAB. Boiling the grain dust is my major concern.

[3rd party JKor]

Can you expound on this? I'm always looking for ways to improve my process.

 

 

Probably, is there something specific you're wondering about?  When it comes to BIAB the thing that bothers me the most is the large amount of grain fines that make it to the kettle.  That undoubtedly also includes some husk fines which end up in the boil.  I have a hard time believing that's not having a negative effect on the final beer.  I'm neither pro or con on no sparge.  There are some documented benefits of keep mashing thickness under ~ 2qt/lb, but I don't know if that's a huge concern or not.  For me, I tend to lean on the proven process parameters and try to focus my effort on making the fine adjustments and keeping things consistent. 

 

I have nothing against BIAB, per se.  In the same way I have nothing against bread machines.  I use a bread machine myself, but I don't think it will make bread as good as by hand.  If you want solid homebrew using a simple process, BIAB is great.  If you want to reach for the limits of how great you can make beer I think it's not the best place to start that journey.